Wednesday, May 29, 2013

For A Healthful Adaptable Snack Choice Consider Roasted Cashews

By Audrey McGuire


A large number of studies have reported on the wholesome benefits garnered when you eat roasted cashews. Nutritional analysis indicates that cashews are a major resource for tryptophan, phosphorous, monounsaturated fats, manganese, magnesium, and copper.

Copper is important for providing antioxidant defense. It also promotes healthy hair and skin. Energy production is also enhanced by copper. Magnesium is crucial for healthy bones and aids in regulating nerve and muscle tone.

Interestingly, reports indicate that eating nuts actually lowers the risk of gaining weight. Even though nuts have a somewhat high caloric content, by eating them you may lose more weight. Nuts could prove to be a dieter's best snack.

When eating nuts that have been roasted, healthy snacking habits are promoted. Roasting gives nuts a flavorful boost. Fats present in oils are released through the heating procedure. Appetizing snacks are usually eaten in larger quantities. An insignificant drop in nutritional content does occur when the nuts are roasted.

In theory, nut consumption would increase when you roast them, because they are more flavorful. Being familiar with a few basics about the roasting technique would be valuable information, as would some ideas for spicing things up. By roasting your own nuts, you get to choose the best components and make a quality snack tailored to your own taste.

The process of roasting your own nuts can be simple and does not have to take a lot of time. 20 minutes or less, depending on the method you choose. Dry roasting is another easy option. This method eliminates the production of additional fat supplied by oils. However, dry roasting requires a marinating procedure using water and salt.

Whether using the oven or stove with a skillet, take care not to scorch the nuts. Oven temperatures can be varied. Generally acceptable temperatures on the Fahrenheit scale range from 160 degrees to 350 degrees. On a Celsius scale, this would be about 71 to about 175 degrees. Again, there is a choice. If using a skillet, keep the nuts moving. This method is quicker.

You can make your own blend of roasted nuts or choose from a wide selection of recipes. There are quite a few out there. The beauty of this process is that you get to create your own mix using whatever you have on hand. A lot of the recipes use ingredients generally found in your kitchen. You can also control the quality of your ingredients. The combinations you can create are only limited by your imagination.

Common ingredients include oil, salt, sugars, honey, and spices. Some recipes include egg white and even cocoa. Common spices used are chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and garlic. Other spices that may be uncommon to the kitchen include rosemary, sriracha sauce, lime leaves, ginger, chipotle, and wasabi.

There are a wide variety of gluten and sugar free recipes. The ingredients can always be modified to suit individual taste and diet preference. Rosemary, salt, chili, sweet and spicy sriracha, honey, chili lime, and cinnamon are a few of the roasted cashew recipes available. There are even recipes for brown butter sage and cocoa dusted cashews.

For a healthful, adaptable snack choice, try roasted cashews. Experiment with some of your favorite ingredients or try some of the recipes mentioned, but most of all have fun. Give yourself a nutritious treat. You deserve it.




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